Tony Stewart currently is seventh in the points standings even though he hasn't won a race yet. Jim McIsaac/Getty Images

The Cup circuit swings into Chicago this weekend as the end of the regular season -- just eight races left -- is suddenly in sight. Here are five drivers to watch when the engines fire on Sunday.

1. Tony Stewart

There's no doubt that Stewart has had an, uh, memorable season. To review: He's hinted at retirement; he's compared NASCAR to professional wrestling; he's blasted the Car of Tomorrow; he's blasted David Gilliland. Most recently, he tossed a few verbal stones at his teammate Denny Hamlin after the two wrecked last Saturday at Daytona. What Stewart hasn't done this season is win, but I think that's going to change on Sunday.

In no fewer than five races this season Stewart has clearly had one of the top two cars in the field. But because of an assortment of mechanical failures, pit road gaffes, and some atrocious luck of being in the wrong place at the wrong time, Stewart's best finish this season was back in March, when he finished second in Atlanta -- a race, by the way, that he would have won if not for an untimely late caution.

Mark this down: At some point this season, Stewart is going to assert himself as a credible title contender. Stewart and crew chief Greg Zipadelli are simply too talented to stay mired in the seventh place in the standings, which is where they sit now. The duo should be quick at Chicagoland. Stewart's won a pole here (in 2003) and a race (in 2004) and this could be the weekend that the No. 20 team begins to hit its stride. The upcoming schedule also sets up well for Stewart, as the circuit will soon visit two of his best tracks: the Brickyard on July 29 and Watkins Glen on Aug. 12.

2. Jeff Burton

Remember the start of the Chase last season? Burton led the points standings four of the first five weeks, causing a lot of ink to be spilled by the motorsports media about the resurgence of Richard Childress Racing and of Burton. But then Burton failed to finish higher than 10th in the last five races of the Chase, and while he's shown flashes this season -- like when he won the seventh race of the season in Texas -- he hasn't proven that he can consistently run in the lead pack.

That could change, though, at Chicago -- one of his best tracks on the schedule. Burton captured the pole here last year and finished second in the race. He is currently sixth in the points and appears to be a safe bet to qualify for the Chase. But he'll start at least 40 points behind Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson (who have four wins apiece this season and thus have earned 40 bonus points for the Chase) unless he can get a win and the 10-point bonus that goes along with it.

3. Kyle Busch

On Saturday night after the Pepsi 400, Busch, who finished second, complained about the lack of drafting help his Hendrick Motorsports teammates had given him. He then said that Jeff Gordon even blew him off on pit road afterward. Clearly, he's frustrated. But what I think you're really seeing here is that, bottom line, Busch is deeply upset with how things shook out with Dale Earnhardt Jr. coming to Hendrick next season and Busch losing his ride with the team that right now is dominating the sport. Busch, just like his older brother, Kurt, has always possessed a me-against-the-world mentality, and the events of the last month have surely emboldened that feeling.

Yet, since Busch learned that he was the odd man out at Hendrick, he's gone on a tear. He's finished eighth or better in four of the last five races and he's up to eighth in the points. He should be quick again at Chicago, where he finished third last summer.

4. Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson

I'm grouping this duo together because, for them, they're on something of a cold streak right now. After combining to win eight of the first 14 races, neither Gordon nor Johnson has reached Victory Lane in four straight events. Has the field caught up to the pair that appeared untouchable just a month ago? It's starting to look like it.

5. Dale Earnhardt Jr.

After finishing 36th in the Pepsi 400 last weekend, Junior needs a good points day on Sunday. He's currently 12th in the standings -- the final spot that advances to the Chase -- and he only has a 49-point lead over Jamie McMurray, who's in 13th and coming off his first win of the season. Junior's quest to make the Chase will be one of the major storylines in NASCAR over the next two months. He finished fifth in Chicago last year.